The Only Use For a Broken Machine
by RedFox09
Summary: Every one of Dr. Eggman's creations serve one purpose: kill Sonic the Hedgehog. But what becomes of those who fail to effectively fulfill that purpose, or question their orders? Contains robot death, robot slavery, and very slight robot yaoi.
1. Prologue

Author's Note: Here's the prologue for a fanfic I mentioned in one of my recent videos: "The Only Use For a Broken Machine," in which Metal will be the main protagonist. I know this kind of intro has probably been done to death, but bear with me. It'll get a lot more original pretty soon. I hope to have the first chapter up by tomorrow.

Hyper Metal Sonic, Dr. Ivo "Eggman" Robotnik (c) Sega

Two bright red points slowly faded into view amidst an otherwise black computer screen that had purposefully been shaped to resemble a set of glaring eyes. "Good. You're awake." These were the words detected by the owner of said screen, among other distant sounds.

"Where… am I?" he risked speaking back to the voice. "Who am I?" With these questions he pulled himself up into a sitting position and observed his surroundings. He found himself in the middle of a sea of blinking lights and machinery. Even though he'd never seen anything before this, the sight looked… oddly familiar, somehow.

"You are Hyper Metal Sonic." When the voice he heard before answered, the newly activated robot turned toward the source of it. Standing before him was a tall, oddly shaped human with red tunic, glinting eyeglasses, and an abnormally large moustache. He was suddenly ambushed by data concerning the human such as age, height, weight, body temperature, and more. His advanced processor took in the information without even an inch of effort.

"And this," the human continued, gesturing to the room around them both with arms outstretched, "is your home, as well as mine, and that of many other robots like you." "I see…" Metal let his gaze drift around the poorly lit room for a moment before returning to the only organism within it. "And, who are you?" "Why, I'm the one who created you, and all those other robots I mentioned. I brought you into this world with my own two hands." Judging by the tone of voice his apparent creator used, Metal concluded that this must've been quite a feat.

"I am Dr. Ivo Robotnik, but I commonly go by 'Dr. Eggman' or just simply 'Eggman.'" "And why have you created me, Dr. Eggman? What purpose do I serve?" the young robot pressed eagerly. "You were made for one thing and one thing only: to ensure the death of my arch nemesis, Sonic the Hedgehog."


	2. Chapter 1: Group Training

"Shadow Android number 301?" "Present." "Shadow Android number 266?" "Yeah I'm here." "Good," one of Eggman's lesser-known robots chirped, checking off two boxes on the attendance sheet that was attached to his clipboard. "I still don't see why you make us do that before every training session. You can already see that we're here…" 301 rolled his teal eyes in the exact same manner as the real Shadow, folding his arms while he did so.

"I'm just doing what I'm programmed to do, the same as you or anyone else," the machine waved off 301's attitude as if it were nothing. A less-than-enthusiastic Shadow Android wasn't exactly news to him. Instead his attention was focused on the clipboard he held in the clamp that seemed to replace a left hand. His single lens scanned over it for a moment before he blurted out, "Oh here it is! For today's training session, you two will get to be the teachers!" "Class dismissed," 266 grinned and turned to leave, only to be verbally halted. "Sorry 266 but that's still my call, not yours." "Crap." The sky-blue mecha's grin disappeared as quickly as it had formed.

"What I mean is that you two will serve as sparring partners for someone else who is being taught to take on two enemies at once." "I thought you said we'd be teaching?" 266 folded his arms. "What better way to learn than by experience? You are going against one of the finest fighters in the entire base, as well as the fastest learner I've seen yet. All you should have to do is cooperate to beat him; he'll find a way to counter. At the same time, I hope you learn a little something about tag-team combat, _301,_" the trainerbot stressed 301's name to emphasize his inability to work well with others. "Remember, there's power in numbers. Loyalty to your fellow comrade is as great a strength as any." By now, 301 knew better than to back sass anyone who held authority over him, so he didn't respond out loud.

"Who are we working with anyway?" 266 raised an eyebrow. "If what you say is true, he must be pretty tough." "Trust me, he is. However, his fighting style is similar to yours, as are his strengths and weaknesses. His name is Metal Sonic." As if on cue, the weight detection-activated door to the hallway that led into the room slid apart to reveal a shiny, freshly-polished Metal Sonic. Sonic robot stepped forward with undeterred confidence, gaze unwavering as the doors rejoined behind him.

"Sorry if I'm a bit late," he waved a hand. "It took a bit longer to repaint me than I thought it would. Next time I'll have to be more careful not to swap paint in combat huh?" he attempted to explain his late arrival informally. "I know what you mean," 266 complied. "Besides, it's a lot more fun to swap paint _outside_ of combat," he smirked devilishly at the dirty joke he'd made. After a drawn-out, awkward moment with a painful lack of laughter, his smirk faded away along with any eye contact he'd been making.

"If that's all," the teacher cautiously changed the subject, "why don't we get on with the instructions?" His trio of pupils nodded in unison. "Metal, you will have a total of 30 minutes to fight 301 and 266 in 3 round. Each round will last 10 minutes. If a fight should end in a draw, I will judge the winner based on performance. Best 2 out of 3 wins. Winner-or winners-get to take the rest of the day off with one friend each, even leaving the base until midnight if they so choose. Understood?" Again, they nodded.

Satisfied, their trainer made a near-perfect 180-degree turn and typed a code in to the wall-bound access panel with the numbers1-9 on its buttons. Upon this, doors identical to the one Metal had come through, but on the opposite side of the room, parted and gave way to what was known to those in the base as a basic training area.

It was a big, enclosed space—over a square mile to be more specific. It had been made to emulate the outdoors as much as possible with real grass, soil, rocks and trees. It even had controllable heat lamps, fans and sprinklers here and there for training robots how to cope with heat, wind and rain in a fight, even if it was artificial. Far above, on one of the room's four walls, was a safe viewing point for the trainers, protected by 5-inch-thick bulletproof glass. This way, the every punch, kick, and all else could be safely recorded, replayed, slowed down, and assessed by any trainerbot.

"You know the drill by now," the experienced teacher shrugged, his single tire rolling in reverse as the rest of his body rotated around until he was moving forward. He promptly exited the large room, leaving the three younger robots to take on another awkward silence. 266 was the first to speak up.

"We'll take the other side, Metal," he offered without considering what 301 might want to do. "You just stay put and don't worry your pretty little head," he teased, poking the side of Metal's head once for each of the last three words in a comical manner. "We'll make it quick and painless." There was that smirk again. Metal really didn't mind the teasing, but what did bother him a little was how unorthodox this Shadow Android was. He'd just smiled and joked twice within a matter of minutes. In the case of almost any other Shadow Android, you'd be lucky to see them stop scowling even once before their 10-year warranty expired.

266's jet skates powered up and he was gone before Metal could even finish processing the thought. 301 wordlessly followed suit. The color-coded robos took position on the opposite end of the area from their sparring partner, and intently watched the viewing point, waiting for any sign of their teacher. Metal did the same on his end, abandoning his train of thought and leaving it to run over a metaphorical cliff into a nonexistent ocean. He had more important things to think about than a possibly dysfunctional Shadow Android.

Now matter how fun he might be at parties.

Hardly a moment passed before their superior appeared behind the glass and nodded, signaling them to start fighting. In an instant the fierce brawl broke out. 301 flew fist-first into Metal at speeds that could rival a formula 1 racecar. His victim countered immediately after the impact by roughly grabbing his black-and-teal quills and yanking him off to the side. Just after that, 266 tackled Metal from behind, knocking him down into the dirt, raising a fist.

Before he could effectively use the fist in a punch, his target jetted off, leaving the fist to hit dirt instead. Dumbfounded, its owner's gaze shot up when 301 passed him. He gave chase to Metal intent on ramming him from behind to knock him off course and hopefully into a tree or a rock. The latter robot barely dodged in time to avoid this let his speed drop enough to let 301 pass him. 301 looked back just in time to receive a foor to the face and was sent crashing to the ground.

The fights went on like this for quite a while. 266 and 301 won the first round, but Metal made his big comeback in the next two. In the very end of the third bout, he had 266 pinned to the ground by the shoulders while 301's artificial claws were firmly planted in the trunk of a large oak tree as the results of a failed attempt to slash a few visible claw marks into Metal's brand-new coat of cobalt blue paint. After all, battle scars are something to be proud of, right?

While 301 aimlessly cursed and struggled to free his ungloved hand, Metal lingered over 266, glaring into his eyes, making sure he knew to stay put. Apparently he did, despite glaring back. Metal also couldn't help but notice he was panting heavily. _'Just goes to show you how far technology's come,'_ he figured, _'And how realistic a robot can be…'_ At this, he realized 266's faux fur was dark and damp, presumably with fake sweat. On top of that, his face and body were only inches away. All these things combined made Metal glad he was less realistic. He was sure that his muzzle would be bright red otherwise.

It was then that the trainerbot burst in through the sliding doors, unwittingly ending the somewhat tense moment. "Well done, you three!" he beamed, quickly finishing up the notes he'd been scribbling on his report form. Metal instantly scrambled to his feet, well away from 266, suddenly aware of the position they'd been in and how it must've looked. He stifled a shudder while an injured 266 pulled himself up to a stand, slightly intrigued by the unexpected action.

"All three of you fought very well," their instructor went on. "You're becoming quite formidable opponents." Amidst his praise, 301 finally managed to yank his hand free, sending stray bits of tree bark scattering to the ground nearby. He examined his claws, flexing and bending his fingers as if to see if they still worked while he was being commended along with his "classmates."

"I'm truly impressed. Metal, you've earned your prize. You get the rest of the day off with one friend." "Thanks, Teach," Metal expressed his unfocused gratitude. "Have fun," the robot receiving the halfhearted thanks waved goodbye as he rolled out of the room with ease, no doubt off to oversee other practice rounds between fighting robots, furthering their experience and honing their skills.

301 abruptly and silently left the room, pulling his glove back on, while Metal tried to figure out whom to spend the rest of the day with. He had about 9 hours left 'til midnight, and tens of thousands of robots to choose from, if not more. 266 saw that he seemed a bit troubled and spoke up. "If you need someone to split the prize with, I wouldn't mind getting' outta here for a while," he offered, giving his comrade a look that almost said "please."

If Metal had a mouth, he would've smiled. "I don't see why not."

Author's Note: Took me a couple days due to laziness but here it is. This is probably the longest chapter I've ever written for anything. For those of you who don't know, 266 and 301 look exactly like Shadow, except that 266 is sky blue where Shadow is red, and 301 is teal where Shadow is red.

Will Metal and 266 wind up together? Considering it's a tragedy, probably not. But we'll see ;3


	3. Chapter 2: Quickly, But Not Painlessly

Side by side, Metal Sonic and Shadow Android 266 exited the base, something many of Eggman's robots would never get to do. Upon leaving, they found the sky was overcast. The whole world-or at least what they could see of it-appeared to be tinted toward a somewhat depressing gray. Still, the clouds looked too thin to conjure up much more than a light rain, which was no issue to Eggman's robots since waterproof technology had been available.

Aside from the weather, the outside of the base looked… forbidding. Thick plant life surrounded it on all sides for at least a mile in every direction. "Good thing we've got GPS…" Metal muttered. "Looks easy to get lost in there." He pointed ahead as if the area he was referring to wasn't obvious. 266 nodded and looked all around. He'd never been outside before. It was so different, even from the training areas. There was life all over the place! Still life, but life nonetheless. Definitely not what he was used to.

"So uh…" he scratched at the quills protruding from the back of his head awkwardly, "where do we go?" "Beats me," Metal shrugged and started walking with confidence that contradicted his answer. He had no clue where he was headed, but you sure couldn't have told just by looking. 266 followed at his left, matching his less-than-impressive pace with mechanical perfection. "You sure you don't wanna go any faster?" The question tempted Metal but he knew better. "We just finished 3 fights in a row. I dunno about you but I wanna have enough battery power to get home after this. Let's just walk."

"Okay then…" 266's tone was devoid of any enthusiasm even though he continued to observe his surroundings with interest sparkling in his eyes. It was eerily silent compared to the constant whirring, cranking, clanging, hustle and bustle of machines back in the base. It was also a little awkward. He really didn't like it, so he tried to think of something to talk about while stepping over thick underbrush and weaving through huge trees.

"So how many times have you been outside, exactly?" Metal didn't even have to search through memory files for that one. "Before this, once. It was sunny out, though. Not like it is now." "Really? I've heard sunlight's different from normal light." "It is. It's warmer, and a lot brighter. Organics can go blind just by looking straight at it for too long." "Heheh… Wimps." "I know, right?"

Their conversation lasted for hours while they continued on aimlessly through the woods. 266 didn't notice, but Metal found that they had quite a bit in common, in contrast to their living counterparts. Unfortunately, he also found that 266 talked about 301 an awful lot, too. He didn't know exactly why, but every time 301's name was mentioned, Metal felt a twinge of something. An emotion of some kind. It was similar to anger, but he couldn't place his finger on it. Maybe it was… jealousy. But why would he be jealous of 301?

Then 266 stopped dead in his tracks, eyes widened minutely. Metal registered this instantly and stopped at almost the exact same time. "What is it?" he glanced around, trying to find what could've brought 266 to such a sudden halt. "There's a chaos emerald near here!" 266's face lit up like the Fourth of July just before he jetted off to the left. Metal followed close behind, making sure to doge every tree in his way. "How do you know?" He had to shout to be heard over the sound the wind resistance made. "It's close enough for me to feel, like the real Shadow!" 266 yelled back, albeit focused on the invisible path he was following. "And how close is that!"

As if on cue, 266 stopped on a dime, mere inches away from a bright blue chaos emerald. Metal, however, didn't react fast enough and ran right into him from behind, knocking both of them down into a very _awkward_ position right next to the emerald. For a moment-a long, drawn out moment-Metal didn't realize this. All he knew right then was that 266 looked absolutely GORGEOUS. The light the emerald emitted reflected off his features perfectly and complimented his sky blue highlights. It also hinted at the moisture on his lips, which were only an inch or two away…

Wait, only an inch or two away?

Metal was off him in a split second, again glad that it wasn't possible for him to blush. What the Hell had gotten into him? What was he thinking? Why did he _like_ being that close to 266? Whatever the reason, 266 didn't seem to approve of it. He slowly picked himself up while doing the same to the chaos emerald and looking away awkwardly. "Let's… never speak of what just happened." "Agreed," Metal nodded briskly, though oddly disappointment by 266's reaction.

During the walk back to the base, Metal just couldn't stop thinking about it. That was twice now he'd been on top of 266 and each time he'd felt the same. It was obvious now why he'd be jealous of 301's closeness to him. _He_ wanted that closeness, and badly. But… taking into account how 266 reacted, and that 301 had been there first… he didn't see it happening. _'Maybe with time…?'_ Metal hoped, risking a look at his crush. Seeing as 266 didn't even seem to notice he was there anymore, and hadn't said a word since the incident, that hope died quickly. Quickly, but not painlessly…

-

"Well done, you two!" Eggman cheered, closely examining his glowing blue prize. "It's not so often we get a chaos emerald without a fuss, now is it?" "No sir," 266 and Metal answered simultaneously, both trying hard to stand up straight and talk like… well, robot slaves. Their master stowed away the emerald in a small, easy-to-miss safe along with two others that were already in it as he went on.

"At ease. 266, you're dismissed. Go on about your business." Aforementioned android did as he was told, wordlessly stepping out of the control room. "Now Metal," Eggman began, making himself comfortable in his rotating recliner, "from what I've heard, you've been doing well in your training, haven't you?" "I've been told that…" Metal wasn't as great at taking compliments as he was at fighting. "You've even managed to beat two Shadow androids at once, and twice in a row at that. I'm proud."

Metal shifted uneasily. "Is this going anywhere?" "As a matter of fact, yes, it is. I'm glad you asked," the scientist drummed his fingers together. "Metal, I think you're just about ready. Soon your purpose will be fulfilled." Metal's gaze shot up. "Y-you mean-?" "Yes. Get a good night's rest, Metal. Tomorrow will be your last training session. The next day…" he paused to grin evilly, "… will be a day to die for."

Author's Note: I had to think a little on this one. For those of you who thought 266 and Metal would wind up together... Remember, I'm trying not to be predictable.

Hyper Metal Sonic, Shadow Android, Dr. Ivo "Eggman" Robotnik, chaos emeralds (c) Sega


	4. Chapter 3: The System

Once again Metal found himself heading through one of the many familiar hallways toward one of the many familiar training areas. _'But this time,'_ he reminded himself, _'Will be the last.'_

The doors at the end of the hall slid apart to reveal a robot identical to the trainerbot from yesterday, only painted in darker colors. Other than that, he looked the same: Clipboard in one clamp, pen in the other. Aside from him, 266 was the only one in the room, leaned back against the wall, looking a bit more like the average Shadow Android. His right ear flicked when the doors opened, but he was otherwise unresponsive of Metal's entrance. He seemed to be more interested in staring distantly at the floor. Before Metal could say anything about his sudden change in temperament, the trainerbot spoke up.

"Good, you're here," he nodded in approval, looking over the sheet attached to his clipboard. "Now the only one missing is 30-…" he cut off in mid-sentence. "Oh…" his tone drastically changed, at which 266 shut his eyes tight, as if in pain. "What?" Metal cluelessly asked to anyone who would answer. "Oh, nothing," the trainerbot shrugged, "just a typo. 301 won't be training with you today." "Why not?" "Metal." Upon hearing his name, the walking weapon spun around to face his crestfallen crush, who simply shook his head as if to say, 'don't.'

Before Metal had the chance to ask any more questions concerning 301's absence, the trainerbot started giving out instructions. "Today you'll both finish up the last part of your target practice training. Metal, you'll be done with training altogether. Congrats." "Thanks…" the machine in question was still suspicious, and it was clearly audible in his cautious answer. His teacher, however, acted as if he hadn't heard it, typing in the code to gain entrance to a training area more akin to a shooting range.

The trainerbot left his students alone to get up to the viewing area. Metal didn't drop the previous subject. "Why isn't 301 here?" "I don't know," 266 shrugged, shaking his head and folding his arms neatly over his fluffy chest. "Yes, you do. Now tell me." For once, Metal's glare matched his words. "I can't," 266 sighed in defeat, his shoulders drooping a little. "At least not right now…" his ears folded back. "Why not?" Metal pressed, his curiosity and impatience getting the better of him. 266 glanced nervously at the viewing area, which still lacked an occupant."Look, I'll explain later. For right now, just focus on the shooting, okay?" 266 reassured his slightly younger friend in a rushed whisper. Metal strained his patience and nodded.

The target practice went the same as always. Both students were given machine guns and competed to see who could shoot the most targets, some of which would move, deduct points, or even shoot back. In the end, 266 won, thought not by much. The prize was the same as it was yesterday. After the session was over and done with, both he and Metal left the base. This time, however, 266 lead Metal through the flora at top speed, intent on getting as far away from the base as possible. His companion didn't question it aloud, though he wanted to.

Eventually the thick trees, bushes and all else gave way to a vast, wide open grassland. Once he'd put some serious distance between himself and the forest, 266 slowed to a steady stop. Metal copied, coming to a halt in front of the robohog. "Why'd we have to come all the way out here?" "Keep your voice down!" 266 whispered urgently. Unfortunately, this only confused the cobalt machine even more, though he obeyed. "I wanted to make sure we were far enough from the base so Eggman's surveillance cameras wouldn't see us." "He has surveillance cameras set up in the forest?" Metal tilted his head slightly to the side.

"Yes. If they catch me telling you what I'm about to tell you, we'll have to deal with the system," the Shadow Android tried to begin explaining, but with little success. "The system?" the cast-iron head tilted a little further. "Just listen. You've noticed that sometimes, robots will randomly disappear, right?" This time the head nodded. "But then they'll come back looking brand-new and acting differently, right?" Another nod. "What happens is: When a robot malfunctions, gets a virus, tries to escape or defy Eggman, or can't do their job for some other reason, the system finds out." "But what's the system?" Metal insisted, his patience wearing thin.

"You name it. Surveillance cams, the trainerbots, Shadow Androids 1-100… They're all part of the system." The urgency in 266's whisper was steadily increasing. "OK, so what happens when someone gets caught?" "The surveillance cams alert the trainerbots. The trainerbots send you to the Shadow Androids. And the Shadow Androids… take you to the meltdown chamber," 266 listed off the chain of events, drawing out the last sentence dramatically.

"Whoa, wait. You can get melted down just for catching a virus?" Metal forgot to keep his voice down but 266 quickly corrected this by slapping a hand over where his mouth would've been if he had one. "Quiet!" "Sorry." The gloved hand fell back to its owner's side. "That's what happened to 301. He accidentally downloaded a virus from the Internet. He'll be replaced by a new copy by tomorrow," the android's voice cracked just enough to catch the other's attention.

"Are you okay?" Metal's hand rose as if to rest on his crush's shoulder, but stopped mid-reach out of self-consciousness. "No." 266's head hung. "I'm not. 301…" he stopped to regain his posture and steady his voice, "301 gave me the virus a few nights ago." Black-and-red eyes would've widened if they could. "You mean you and him-?" 266 gave a brief nod to answer the unspoken question, looking straight into his admirer's false eyes. "Oh…" Metal's hand came to rest at his side. He wasn't as crushed, since he'd already suspected the two were an item, but it was still more than a disappointment. There was a tense, drawn-out moment of solemn silence.

Finally Metal shook his head to clear it. _'There are more important things to worry about right now!'_ he chided himself inwardly. "Isn't there any way to escape?" "No," 266's ears folded back. "All of us have a tracking device installed in our systems. It can't be deleted, erased or removed. If we try to escape, Shadow Androids 1-100 will be sent out. They're stronger than any of Eggman's other robots, especially in a group." "But didn't Omega escape?" Metal hoped. "Not for long," 266 tone took on a solemn tint. "He got melted down just a few months ago. And I'm next," he hung his head again, putting a hand to his temple hopelessly. "Only one robot has ever escaped and survived." "Who?" "Silver Sonic." His head rose back up.

"He was lucky enough to get a virus that made the tracing device malfunction, over a decade ago. No one knows where he went and by now he's probably shut down completely." Metal didn't like a single word of what he'd been told. He didn't even know how to respond to it. How long would it be until he never saw 266 again? What if he were to lose against Sonic tomorrow? Would he be melted down too? "Don't ever speak a word of anything I just told you," 266 tore him away from his doubts to add new ones. "If you do, the system will get you too." "But what about you? Isn't there any way-" "There's nothing any of us can do but our jobs. We just have to do our best not to get caught until something eventually goes wrong." Metal didn't much care for that answer.

Neither of them was able to pick up the faint sounds of a camera lens zooming in to focus on them, hidden beneath the billowing grass…

Author's Note: Things are starting to pick up, huh?

Hyper Metal Sonic, Shadow Androids, Dr. Ivo "Eggman" Robotnik (c) Sega


	5. Chapter 4: Rain and Lightning

The clouds that had seemed so thin and harmless before had thickened and darkened since the other day. In spite of this, no wind blew. That is, other than the rush of air resistance Metal left in his wake while flying at breakneck speed toward his target. The programming that somewhat linked their minds allowed Metal to easily pinpoint his unsuspecting counterpart's location. He wasn't far off, and the distance between them was closing rapidly.

Only a mile or two away, Mobius's greatest hero was lazily laid back on the thickest branch of a tree at the edge of a forest, eyes closed, arms folded behind his head, expression content. He hadn't gotten much time to himself like this lately, what with every villain and their grandma acting up. Except for one in particular. _'When was the last time Egghead did anything?'_ he pondered. It wasn't normal for his arch enemy, judging from past experience. He was usually the first one to stir up trouble, and did so the most often. _'He must be planning something big…'_

No sooner had the thought crossed his mind than his right ear flicked; an involuntary response to unexpected sound. At this, his eyes shot open. Though he couldn't see anything unusual, he could detect a faint sound disturbance in the distance, and it was steadily growing louder. _'Probably just a plane or something…'_ he let his eyes close again. The sound was still getting louder and the cause, closer. More so than what was normal. It was getting too close for comfort. He cracked one emerald eye open just in time to catch a glimpse of glinting red steel before it hit his face with incredible speed-driven force.

Caught off-guard, he was knocked away and fell back-first onto the ground, skidding a short distance in the grass and soil. His attacker hovered a few inches off the ground nearby, his engine emitting a much fainter sound now. His cobalt-furred target picked himself up to a stand and turned to face him. Despite the bruise starting to form over his eye, he didn't display anger. On the contrary, he grinned. "Not bad, Metal." The latter was surprised by this. _'How does he know my name? We've never met!'_ Even so, he made sure not to show his confusion. Not a difficult task, considering he couldn't manipulate his facial features in any way.

"I hope you've gotten better since last time," his look-alike went on casually, brushing a bit of dirt off his left shoulder. "Kicked your ass pretty good that day, didn't I?" Metal was frozen in place. He didn't have any idea what he was talking about, let alone how to respond to it. He'd never seen the hedgehog before, or if he did then he didn't remember. Yet somehow he did look familiar… Maybe because they looked similar? No, it seemed to be more than just that…

Without warning, his opponent dashed toward him to deliver a powerful punch to his stomach. He quickly countered by grabbing the offending arm and using its owner's speed against him. In one fluid motion, Sonic was roughly yanked around in a U-turn and thrown back in the direction he'd come from, straight toward a tree. Instead of slamming into it, however, he caught a branch and swung forward to flip up onto it in a crouching position, sporting a now clearly visible black eye and a smirk that contradicted it. "You _have_ gotten better."

The instant the compliment passed his lips Sonic used his abnormally powerful legs to launch himself straight into Metal, knocking him onto the unwelcoming earth. He kept him pinned to the ground securely by the shoulders, restricting his movement. Or at least, he thought so. The jet engine on Metal's back fired up and before Sonic knew what happened he was harshly shoved quills-first into the bark of a tree, held in place by the force of his captor's thruster. Metal deeply wished he could've given him the same smirk he'd received only moments ago.

For once, the tables had really turned. The teen found himself being crushed between the tree and his cast-iron adversary. The latter may have gotten just a bit too confident for his own good in that moment. He backed off slowly, again hovering just above the ground, knees bent. Once he was a few feet away he straightened out his legs, landed, and folded his arms, awaiting his prey's next move. So far, killing him didn't seem all that hard. Why had all the other robots made such a big deal about how tough he was? Was this really the same Sonic who'd shamelessly slain so many of his comrades?

Sonic had to put some effort into getting his quills out of the tree bark, but he managed to yank himself free. He copied Metal's exact position, but added that smirk of his. That infuriating, trademark smirk that always seemed to effectively piss off anyone he used it on. He especially loved using it to get a reaction out of Eggman. He was funny when he yelled. Too bad he wasn't there at the time.

As the moment passed, they both noticed the wind had started to pick up, making all the trees in the forest sway. It fit the situation perfectly, portraying the unspoken tension between both fighters. The calm before the storm, so to speak. The furrier of the two took a few small, slow, seemingly harmless steps toward the other before his speed spiked dramatically and he ran right into him, jamming an elbow into his chest hard enough to dent it noticeably. Before Metal had time to react, the former proceeded further by giving him a rather impressive left hook, causing his head to jerk up violently and involuntarily.

He yelled out in mixed fury and pain, but it came out garbled and glitchy for some reason. The sound information was distorted in some way before it got to his speakers. Was the dent in his chest preventing him from coherent speech? He didn't have time to run diagnostics. He stumbled back a few steps before steadying himself again. He tried jetting straight at his quarry once more, but the latter was quick enough to sidestep out of the way. Metal hadn't exactly been built to stop on a dime. Before he could halt and turn around, Sonic used a homing attack from above to send him crashing face-first into the dirt.

The advanced technology Metal had been designed with allowed him to feel great pain. Most notably, he felt the glass covering his screen break and scrape against his muzzle upon making contact with the ground and skidding on it. Now his vision was warped; it kept cutting to static and then back to a warped version of reality in an irregular manner. His chances of winning any fight greatly decreased. Even worse, he heard a crack of thunder not too far off. If the storm came any closer, he'd surely get struck.

Sonic was gone the second he heard the thunder. No sense being anywhere near anything electrical in the middle of a thunderstorm. Instead he left his steel look-alike to fend for himself. The damaged droid's limbs trembled with effort as he struggled to push himself up onto his knees, knowing full well he'd likely sustained irreversible damage even if he did manage to survive. He suddenly felt a small, cold ting on his scratched-up chrome, followed by another, and another. Soon the cold consumed his whole being.

In this state, he was less than waterproof. Movement became impossible. He collapsed to the now mire ground in defeat. It was over. He'd failed. His fate was at the mercy of the rain and lightning. He let himself shut down, and static faded out to black…

Author's Note: For those of you wondering if Metal dies... You'll just have to keep wondering. Don't worry though, I'll write the next chapter soon.


	6. Chapter 5: A Different Purpose

Days had dragged by since the storm blew over. While Metal was shut down, there was no flow of electricity to attract the lightning. Somehow, he managed to restart afterwards. He'd been beaten too badly to move, see clearly, or even speak properly, but he'd survived. However, he'd failed in his mission to destroy Sonic. If he ever made it back to his creator's base, he'd surely pay.

Distant movement caught the ravaged remains of his vision. He struggled to see what it was, but only caught blurred glimpses between bouts of gray static instead. Whatever it was, it was dark. And it was coming closer. It stopped only an inch or so away from his partly buried face. Metal could've sworn that for a split moment he saw a pair of white, black, and sky blue shoes standing before him. He desperately tried to turn his head and look up, but it was futile. No matter how much he willed his body to move, it just wouldn't.

A comforting hand pressed to his cheek and gently turned his head to the side, so his dented, mud-caked face could clearly be seen. Metal just barely saw a pair of emotionless sky blue eyes looking straight into his. "Oh God… It's even worse than I thought…" a familiar voice sighed, accompanied by its owner's falsely warm breath teasing where a mouth appeared to be missing. Metal recognized those eyes and that voice instantly, though it wasn't the same friendly tone he usually heard it being used in. It seemed to be lacking in concern or compassion.

"**2**_6_6!" Metal's cry of joy was greatly distorted. "Y-y-you're o_KAY_!" Though he couldn't clearly see his crush's reaction, he did feel a sudden chill of unwelcoming cool air replace the hand that had been resting on his cheek. _"Me?"_ Metal pictured 266 raising an eyebrow. "What about _you_?" And how do you know who I am?" At this, Metal was plunged once more into hopelessness and despair while at the same time being stabbed by realization.

This wasn't the same Shadow Android he knew. It was a copy.

The malfunctioning droid didn't bother to embarrass himself further by speaking. Even so, the remade 266 went on. "Well, whatever. I was sent here to bring you back to the base, and that's what I'm going to do." Immediately following this statement, Metal was embraced by warm arms and lifted out of the dirt. He found it difficult to stay aware of what was going on after that. All he knew was that he didn't want to be in this stranger's arms. He didn't want to go back to the base. He didn't even care whether he was repaired or not.

He just wanted the real 266 back.

When he was finally able to focus on his surroundings, he found that he was still being carried. There were familiar sounds of distant clanking and whirring around him. For a fleeting moment, he saw that he wasn't being carried by the same Shadow Android anymore. This one looked incomplete compared to the others he'd become familiar with. It was completely clad in steel rather than faux fur, and had bright orange stripes of paint in the same places the real Shadow had red stripes. Its eyes and muzzle exactly resembled what those of Metal had looked like before he'd been so horribly damaged.

"Wh-_where_…" Metal tried to ask where he was being taken to, though he already had a hunch he knew what the answer would be. "You're being taken to the meltdown chamber," the unfamiliar Shadow Android answered dryly. "Why…?" the question came as a strained groan. "Because you've been broken beyond repair and can no longer do what you were built for. Instead, you will serve a different purpose." "And… **what** is _that_?" Metal pressed. "There's only one use for a broken machine," the one carrying him answered without an inch of compassion. "Scrap metal."

Now the former robot knew for sure what was coming. His hunch had been correct. To his own dismay, he was resigned to it. He couldn't find any will, motivation, or reason to attempt escape. Without word or warning, he was dropped face down onto a cold, hard surface. He was still being moved, but more slowly and steadily. As expected, he soon felt warmth begin to envelop him. It was being intensified at a rate that matched the speed at which he was moving perfectly. It got warmer. Hotter. His senses were being overwhelmed. Everything ceased…

-

Two bright crimson irises steadily faded into view from an otherwise dark screen made to resemble a set of glaring eyes. "You've awakened. Excellent." These were the satisfied words the owner of said screen detected, along with other faint sounds of clanks and whirrs in the distance.

"Whuh…?" he risked a groan. "Who are you? And… where am I?" With these questions he pushed himself up into a sitting position and surveyed his surroundings. He found himself resting on what seemed to be an operating table in a very poorly lit room, staring out into a mass of blinking lights and machinery. Even though he'd never seen anything before this, the sight looked… oddly familiar, somehow.

Author's Note: Now if that's not the ending of a tragedy then I dunno what is.


End file.
